


Fire and Ice

by halcyyonn



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, First Meeting, adrigami, fire and ice au, royal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26021992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyyonn/pseuds/halcyyonn
Summary: King Adrien of the Fire Kingdom was looking for a queen, and women from across the land had travelled to compete for his heart. However, this competition hadn't exactly been his idea, and he would rather marry someone he already knew.Travelling to the Fire Kingdom for different purposes, Queen Kagami left the Ice Kingdom behind for a few weeks to ensure the women chosen to marry Adrien wouldn't jeopardise the alliance between their kingdoms. If nothing else, she was going to look after her kingdom, those she ruled, and the friend she had been sending letters to for years.But after spending a few weeks together, both rulers begin to develop feelings, and not the kind conducive to a competition like the one Adrien found himself tangled with. They can only hope things work out without ruining the relationship between their kingdoms.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi
Kudos: 2





	Fire and Ice

He ruled the kingdom of fire and she ruled the kingdom of ice. Despite the border they shared, they had never met in person, instead conversing through the countless letters they each sent. Both of their kingdoms flourished, and everything continued as normal, just as it had been since the two rulers were first crowned.

Until it became time for Adrien to choose a queen. Suitors from all over his kingdom travelled to Adrien’s palace in droves, each of them with just one objection in mind: the crown. Few of them cared for Adrien himself. They saw him as the way to the crown, the path to the place they all dreamed of. 

Adrien sat in his office, watching as more women flocked to the castle. He knew they were after the crown and knew that once they found out the amount of work required to hold the title of queen many of them would leave. Unfortunately, that came with the grounds of opening the palace to anyone who wanted to be queen. For the past few generations, marriages in the royal family were the result of heirs of different countries or the children of influential families growing closer over time and forming an alliance when they took the throne, but this time it was different. Despite the alliance between Adrien’s kingdom and Kagami’s being strong, they had never been close enough for Adrien to suggest such a thing, especially not through a letter. 

Speaking of letters, the one in front of him was only half written, but Adrien wanted to have it sent by the end of the day. It was another letter to Kagami, this one asking for her advice. She might know what to do in this situation, she seemed to know what to do most other times. She was a queen wise beyond her years, even compared to the countless other royals Adrien had encountered. 

Despite the hours that had already passed, Adrien couldn’t think of the right words to write. There were so many words circulating in his head, yet none of them seemed quite right. None of them fully encapsulated the problem he was having, like there was a detail missing that he couldn’t fully articulate. 

What seemed like years later, Adrien gave up on writing the letter and placed his pen back in its place. He was expected at the main entrance soon and delaying the inevitable wouldn’t help anyone right now. The letter could wait until later that night, but Adrien had a feeling none of the people waiting downstairs would. 

Kagami stood on her balcony, watching the sunset. A letter from Adrien would probably be arriving soon, and she wanted to read it tonight. 

Someone knocked on her door. “A letter has arrived from King Adrien.”

In seconds, Kagami was across the room and opening the door. She took the letter, barely being able to hold back her smile. It was always nice to hear from Adrien. “Thank you.”

The letter was a few pages longer than Adrien's other letters and his handwriting changed multiple times over the course of the letter. Kagami could tell almost instantly that he had been rushing to write everything, and she could understand why. Ruling a kingdom was hard enough but having to look for a queen at the same time would only make it more stressful. Thinking about the juggling act Adrien was performing made Kagami even happier that she wasn’t in his situation. 

By the end of the letter, Kagami didn’t know what to think. It seemed like Adrien was asking her to help him get out of having to find a queen, but Kagami couldn’t think of a solution. The number of advisors pushing Adrien into this was overwhelming, to say the least. 

Kagami glanced at the clock. It was still fairly early in the evening, so Marinette would probably still be around the palace somewhere. She was always good at giving advice, especially when Kagami couldn’t think straight. This was another of those times when Kagami could really use another opinion. 

Hopefully, Marinette would be in her sewing room. Kagami walked down the hallway and descended the stairs, heading straight for the room she had spent so many hours in. She could probably get to the sewing room in her sleep at this point. 

“Marinette, are you still here?” Knocking on the door, Kagami waited, hoping she hadn’t missed Marinette. 

The door opened and Marinette appeared, holding a bolt of fabric in her arms. “Is everything okay?”

Nodding, Kagami looked over Marinette’s shoulder. “I think so, I just need some advice. Are you busy? I don’t mind coming back later. Or tomorrow.”

“I’ll always have time for you. Come in.” Marinette pulled the door open wider with her foot before walking back to one of the benches around the room and dumping the fabric in her arms. “What did you want to talk about?”

“King Adrien. The ruler of the Kingdom of Fire.” Sitting in the seat by the door, Kagami let herself slouch slightly. “His advisors have forced him to find a queen.”

She could have sworn that Marinette froze for a second, nearly dropping the measuring tape she was holding. “I heard about that. They invited women from all over his kingdom. There were even people from this kingdom wanting to attend, but the rules stated that no one from this kingdom may enter.”

That took a weight off her shoulders. If women from her kingdom couldn’t compete, there would be less chance of harbouring negative feelings towards their closest ally. Keeping their alliance strong was one of the top priorities, especially through this chaotic time. 

Until now, Kagami hadn’t thought of travelling to Adrien's palace as a possibility, but surely, her counsel would be appreciated. Saying that she wished to offer her judgement into the next queen wouldn’t be too far from the truth, and it would be important that Kagami and the new queen got along. The two kingdoms had been in an alliance for longer than Kagami had been alive, and she wasn’t going to let that be ruined by someone marrying into power.

Kagami knew what she had to do. If she wasn’t going to vie for Adrien's heart herself, she could endeavour to ensure Adrien would end up with the best person possible. It was the least she could do for Adrien, and their kingdoms. Taking care of her kingdom and getting her people were her duty, her top priority. “Thank you, Marinette. I know what I should do.”

“I barely said anything, though.” Papers shuffled as Marinette moved things around the bench. When Kagami glanced over, she could have sworn there was a picture of Adrien, but it was covered before she could properly process it.

“You were still an incredible help. I really cannot thank you enough for all the advice you’ve given me since we first met.” The door opened easily when Kagami turned the handle. She stepped out into the hallway and turned around one last time. “Have a good night, Marinette.”

Marinette smiled. “You too, Kagami.”

Two days later, Kagami was preparing to cross the border into Adrien's kingdom. She had sent her reply letter the night she spoke to Marinette and Adrien was expecting her. Only a few hours before everything was packed, another letter returned from Adrien. It said he would stall until she arrived, and that he looked forward to being able to finally meet her in person. Kagami hadn’t bothered to reply, she would arrive before the letter did.

As soon as the door had closed behind Kagami, she instantly began to doubt herself. Was this really a good idea? For all she knew, she would arrive, and nothing would be as she thought it would. There were some things that she could infer from the letters she received, but there were still so many things she had guessed or assumed from what she had been told and learned throughout her life. All of it could be wrong, though.

Nearly three hours of scenery changing, a castle slowly rose over the horizon. It looked almost exactly as it did in all the pictures Kagami had seen, built using nothing but dark red bricks with two towers on either side of the castle piercing the clouds above it. As the carriage approached the large walls, the dark wood drawbridge lowered, revealing the courtyard to the world. 

The courtyard was stunning. Each of the walls were covered in vines and flowers, with a statue of the previous queen surrounded by red roses on one wall. People rushed around everywhere, all of them moving across the grey marble floor like they were all involved in an intricate dance they had learned from experience. 

Everything here was much different to Kagami's kingdom, where people moved in the same lines and order kept everything running smoothly. Her castle was run on a tight schedule and everyone knew exactly where they had to be and what they were supposed to be doing at any given time. The kingdom of fire seemed much more chaotic. 

Kagami opened the carriage door and stepped out. The second she touched the floor the doors were pulled open and Adrien stepped out. A voice carried out across the courtyard, freezing everyone in their places. “Introducing Queen Kagami Tsurugi of the Kingdom of Ice, and King Adrien Agreste of the Kingdom of Fire.”

Both rulers paused momentarily, Kagami waiting for Adrien to greet her, Adrien waiting for Kagami to say something. When he realised that she wouldn’t, he stepped forward and bowed. Adrien grasped her hand gently and kissed it, before standing back up to look Kagami in the eye. “It’s lovely to meet you, Queen Kagami.” 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, too.” Kagami dipped slightly, returning the gesture. Another few seconds of silence followed where the two of them stood, surrounded by people bustling through their daily routines. “If only we could meet in more normal circumstances.”

Adrien realised this was his chance. If he could convince Kagami to marry him, even for purely diplomatic reasons, they could both save themselves time and energy finding someone suitable to marry, and the alliance between their kingdoms would be stronger than ever before. But that was an outlandish idea, and she would never agree. They sent letters to each other because of the long-standing alliance, not because there were shared feelings between them. Anything was worth a shot, though, and Adrien knew that Kagami would do anything for her kingdom. But using her duty to her kingdom for personal gain would be wrong, and he couldn’t trap her in a situation with false pretences of helping her kingdom. 

“Should we go to my office to talk privately?” Without advisors or servants around, Adrien knew he could speak freely to Kagami. He could tell her about everything that had happened with his advisor’s scheme to find him a queen, especially all the details he had kept hidden from everyone. Not having to worry about spying eyes instantly relieved some of the pressure he was feeling. With letters, anyone who came into contact with it could read what was inside but having Kagami here provided an opportunity to speak his mind he hadn’t truly had since before his mother’s death. 

“That’s a good idea. I’m sure there are many things that need to be discussed in privacy.” She would need privacy if was truly going to share her opinions on the current events in his kingdom, and how ridiculous and weak they made his kingdom look. From the outside, it seemed he had no allies and was allowing anyone the chance to make important choices that could change the course of history. 

Adrien offered his arm to Kagami. “My office is on the top floor; the view is amazing.”

She linked her arm with his and let herself be guided through the doors and into the palace. Everyone stopped and bowed as they passed, and Kagami surmised they were all servants working here. So far, she hadn’t seen a single one of the women trying to reach the crown, something she hadn’t expected. For most of the journey, she had tried to picture what everyone would look like. She knew that people here looked different to the people in her kingdom, and they were, but not as much as Kagami had expected.

As they passed one of the doors, Kagami could hear voices from inside. Adrien seemed to be able to hear them, too, and almost instantly flinched. Pieces clicked into place. That must be the room where the competitors were. Her suspicions were almost immediately confirmed. 

“Lessons in running a kingdom for the women wishing to be queen. None of them should give you trouble.” Adrien bent his head down slightly so Kagami could hear him better. She nodded and the pair continued down the hallway and to another winding set of stairs. If Kagami was right, they were heading into the tower on the left side of the castle. “My office is the second floor from the top, there’s just a lot of stairs before that.”

Kagami giggled, and Adrien could feel his heart began to beat faster. He hadn’t realised just how beautiful was she until she laughed, and now he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Despite how little they had actually talked, Adrien could imagine a future where they ruled side by side, looking after their newly combined kingdom. But that wasn’t going to happen. He was being ridiculous for even entertaining the thought. 

“We’re here.” The door in front of them was almost the exact same as all the others, except this one was reinforced with thick bars of bronze. Adrien opened the door, holding it open for Kagami. “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll grab something to drink.”

He disappeared into a side room as Kagami sat down in the seat closest to her. She looked over the papers sitting on the desk. They were all turned away from her, facing towards the larger chair on the other side of the desk. That must be Adrien’s chair.

It suited him. The chair itself was somewhat plain, not as gaudy as many of the chairs she had seen in the hallway and the open rooms they passed. Soft red velvet covered the cushioned sections of the chair, and the armrests and decorative edges were made of the same wood that formed the door and desk. The room itself was warm but there were no personal touches around the room. It was just an office, nothing more.

Adrien returned with a tray, carrying two glasses and a jug of brightly coloured liquid. He set them on the desk and went to sit down. When he finally looked back at Kagami, he realised that she was staring at the juice, confused. “Fruit juice. I’m guessing neither of those grow in your kingdom?”

Kagami shook her head. “Our weather is too cold for many of the things grown here. We do have some fruit that does grow, but nothing this bright.”

“Should we begin? There must be lots of things you wish to talk about.” Pouring himself a glass, Adrien leaned back in his chair slightly. He was anxious to hear what Kagami had to say, especially since this was the first time they had ever met in person. “I’m sure it’s important if you travelled here yourself instead of sending a letter.”

“Yes, the matter of your search for a queen is quite important. I wanted to meet the contestants myself to ensure all of them were eligible for the position.” Copying Adrien’s actions, Kagami rested her glass on top of one palm, holding it with the other. “You can imagine the issues that would arise from a queen that does not hold her kingdom’s best intentions at heart.”

“Your counsel in this matter is much appreciated.” Was now the right chance to propose his outlandish idea? Arranged marriages rarely occurred anymore, and though families often tried to raise children together to encourage alliances, nothing was ever arranged without them knowing. Both kingdoms had flourished because of these choices. But now, to suggest something so out of the ordinary.

From the letters she had sent him, Adrien had worked out that Kagami strongly upheld traditions passed down through the generations. That would rule out of the possibility of marrying Adrien for purely political reasons. On the other hand, she was fiercely loyal to her kingdom and people, which might push her to accept the marriage. It could also do the exact opposite. 

“Are there any frontrunners in the competition yet?” Kagami noticed Adrien was drifting away into his thoughts, but she needed to begin meeting people, especially the ones that Adrien had his eye on.

Adrien paused, trying to think of a name or a face, even though all of them seemed to be blending together because of how quickly he had met them all. “There hasn’t really been anyone yet, everything is a bit of a blur.”

“That’s understandable, but I think this entire competition is a bad idea. You need to end it as soon as possible.” Kagami finished the remainder of the juice in her glass and set it on the desk in front of her. “The entire premise of the competition makes your kingdom look like it has no allies and is willing to let anyone waltz into the throne, whether they’re qualified or not.”

“I wish I could end it straight away, but my advisors insisted, and they’re very determined.”

“Them remove them from your council. If they are so concerned with the idea of having a queen that they are willing to waste your time like this, then they have no placing assisting in the ruling of a kingdom.” A similar situation had almost happened in her own kingdom a few years ago, but after Kagami firmly stated that she was more concerned with the wellbeing of her kingdom than her relationship status and removed the offending advisor from her council, anyone else with those ideas quickly got the message. 

“Many of them are my father’s advisors from years ago.” Adrien wished he could get rid of them, but there would be too much opposition from the public who still supported them. “Besides, the other option was an arranged marriage with another ruler, and I am well aware of the fact that they don’t occur anymore.”

“Who were they proposing you marry?”

“Anyone my age that was of high enough status. I think your name was mentioned once or twice, but I know you have other things to worry about before you get married. Regardless, I wouldn’t want to force someone into a marriage just because they were born into a certain family at the wrong time.”

“That’s very noble, but sometimes things must be done for the betterment of your kingdom.”

“Would you marry someone you didn’t know for your kingdom?”

“I would do anything for my kingdom. When I was crowned, I promised I would keep my peoples’ best interests at heart, and I will continue to do so until I am no longer their queen. Would you not do the same?” Kagami raised an eyebrow at Adrien, waiting for his reply. If he said he wouldn’t, then she would have more than enough evidence to consider ending their alliance. She would only put her kingdom in alliances with people who cared about their people as much as she did hers, nothing less. 

“You of all people should know that I would do anything to keep my kingdom safe.” Even if she didn’t mean to insult him, Kagami’s words hurt Adrien. “By listening to my advisors, I am ensuring someone from my kingdom will rule by my side.”

Kagami glanced at the clock to her left. “I think it’s time to meet some of the women trying to marry you.”

Adrien watched as Kagami stood from her chair and walked towards the door. Remembering that she didn’t know where to go, Adrien moved from his chair and followed her, the half empty glass of juice still clutched in his hand. 

They walked in silence; their formerly friendly conversation deteriorated by their near argument earlier. Kagami was glad she had ended the conversation when she had before it had the chance to fall further into an undignified shouting match. The ruler of the Ice Kingdom did not get into shouting matches with the people she had an alliance with.

Instead of being reinforced with bronze bars, this door had a do not disturb sign nailed into it. Adrien knocked on the door twice and waited for it to be opened and turned his head slightly towards Kagami. “This should be the room the contestants are in.”

When the door opened, a flurry of voices seeped out into the hallway, all of them fawning Adrien’s sudden appearance. However, every voice faded to silence when Kagami stepped into the room. After a few tense moments, the contestants began to whisper, theorising about everything from who she was to who she would be replacing, as if they didn’t know who she was.

“Ladies, may I introduce Queen Kagami Tsurugi, the ruler of the Kingdom of Ice.” Adrien gestured to Kagami, allowing her to speak for herself. In the few seconds between their sentences, the women in front of them began to conspire and Kagami heard everything from complaints about the unfair advantage she had to the possible end of the competition altogether. 

Kagami stepped forward, nodding slightly at the women. “Good afternoon, ladies. I am not here to join or end your little competition, I am simply here to provide advice and ensure the next Queen has the best interests of both this kingdom and the alliances this kingdom holds in her heart. I wish you all luck.”

The room was silent after Kagami finished her little speech. No one bothered to break the silence, each person sizing the other or others up. While Kagami tried to gather first impressions, each of the contestants tried to work out why Kagami would leave her kingdom for something like this. There had to be ulterior motives, right?

“You will probably see Kagami throughout her stay here, and I do hold her opinions in high regard. Thank you for your time.” Adrien turned and opened the door for Kagami, bowing slightly as he left the room. “Should we return to my office?”

“I think we should.” They walked back to Adrien’s office and sat down, Adrien finally placing his glass down. 

“Do you have any first impressions?” There was a brief pause as Adrien scanned Kagami’s face, looking for any reaction. “I was being completely truthful when I said I value your input.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Kagami sighed. “I just hope this can end quickly and with the best results possible.”

Adrien nodded again, suddenly realising just how much he regretted agreeing to this competition rather than trying to forge a stronger alliance with another kingdom. This way, could he really know any of the women trying to become queen?

But it was already too late to introduce himself to another ruler or heir and form a strong enough relationship to propose a marriage. He really had messed up this time. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Kagami tried to think of something to say that would be useful in this situation, while Adrien tried to think of what he should do.

“How long will the competition last?”

“I hope to end it as soon as possible, but I don’t know how far into the future that will be.” Hopefully, it was sooner rather than later because Adrien would rather get this over and done with as soon as possible. 

Kagami nodded once, agreeing with Adrien’s words. “I share the same hope.”

* * *

The women had only been in the palace for the competition, but things were already going wrong. Adrien had been too busy with work to visit the competitors, so many of them had left when they began to feel they weren’t getting enough attention. While Adrien pretended to be sad when they left, he couldn’t be happier.

Each woman that left made many of Adrien’s decisions easier, except for one. At some point during the time he spent with Kagami, Adrien realised that he was beginning to develop feelings for her. Not just friendly feelings, romantic ones. 

Throughout the weeks, Adrien began to despise the idea of marrying anyone who travelled to the palace for the competition. He immensely disliked the idea of even ending up with anyone but Kagami. However, he knew she didn’t feel the same way.

Kagami was suffering through her own confusing feelings. What had started as an excursion to help Adrien choose a queen had quickly turned into an internal battle against her own feelings. It was becoming harder and harder to remain civil when speaking with the last few contestants because, as she had recently realised, she wished she was in their shoes. 

It was a disaster waiting to happen. Feelings shouldn’t be getting mixed in with any of their current circumstances, otherwise, things would get messy unnecessarily fast. 

Both of them were trapped in their own doubts about their feelings and if those feelings were reciprocated. They both believed they were one-sided, but neither was willing to take the risk and confess.

However, Adrien was cooking up a plan that didn’t involve confessing any feelings but still ended with them together. He just had to find a way to end the competition and propose a ‘politically advantageous’ marriage to Kagami and her advisors. Hopefully, everything worked out that way he was imagining.

  
  



End file.
